Hand Holding High Power Binoculars

[Renato1 (Renato)]

I read this statement where the author is reviewing Celestron 25X70 binoculars in relation to terrestial viewing.

"I have read many articles and pieces of advice on forums written by so called experts claiming that you cannot get a stable view from any binocular with a magnifications of around 15x and above. This is simply not true, the relatively low weight and good balance of these (once you hold them right) means that I was easily able to look through them over fairly long periods using nothing more than my hands during the day."
at
http://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com...Master-121.htm

I must admit that I had never really thought about this before, though my wife and I both use a pair of 16X60 Pentax binoculars for bird watching without any great difficulty. However, I had just assumed that 20X might be a tad much, and 25X way too much.

What power high-powered binoculars have you comfortably hand held for terrestial viewing?
Regards,
Renato

[dannat (Daniel)]

to be honest i don't like the view above 10x power hand held -not since i know how steady ousted ones are -you can do it at a pinch but i don't really like the view
i have a bino doubler -at 30x the shake is huge, not recommended

[alocky (Andrew lockwood)]

I use a pair of fujinon 10x70 handheld, and found that the trick to holding these larger binos is to hold them as close as possible to the objective end. Although these are much lower power than you're asking about I also have a pair of 20x100, and using the same trick I can get a steady view for a short time. These definitely are easier to use with your elbows on something solid!
Cheers
Andrew.

[Wavytone]

Used to have a pair of 12 x 70... usual method was either leaning over the car with elbows resting on the roof, or lying on a groundsheet to look near the zenith.

[Tropo-Bob (Bob)]

I use a light, handheld telescope (80mm) to look at ships at sea from a nearby hill. Started off using 25x for several years, but then changed to 19x. Holding the scope steady enough at 25x was possible, but much more comfortable at 19x.

In short, my experience is that 25x is doable, but 19x is more enjoyable and I see just as much detail.

[anj026]

There are some good options for hand holding in this link;

http://binocularsky.com/binoc_hold.php

[Renato1 (Renato)]

Originally Posted by dannat

to be honest i don't like the view above 10x power hand held -not since i know how steady ousted ones are -you can do it at a pinch but i don't really like the view
i have a bino doubler -at 30x the shake is huge, not recommended

I think weight has a lot to do with it. My 15X50 Pentax binoculars are pretty bad hand held, but I don't mind 15X in my heavier 15X70 binoculars.

Originally Posted by alocky

I use a pair of fujinon 10x70 handheld, and found that the trick to holding these larger binos is to hold them as close as possible to the objective end. Although these are much lower power than you're asking about I also have a pair of 20x100, and using the same trick I can get a steady view for a short time. These definitely are easier to use with your elbows on something solid!
Cheers
Andrew.

Thanks, I think you basically agree with the writer's opinion.

Originally Posted by Wavytone

Used to have a pair of 12 x 70... usual method was either leaning over the car with elbows resting on the roof, or lying on a groundsheet to look near the zenith.

Could I conclude that you don't agree with the writer's opinion in your case?

Originally Posted by Tropo-Bob

I use a light, handheld telescope (80mm) to look at ships at sea from a nearby hill. Started off using 25x for several years, but then changed to 19x. Holding the scope steady enough at 25x was possible, but much more comfortable at 19x.

In short, my experience is that 25x is doable, but 19x is more enjoyable and I see just as much detail.

Thanks, you basically agree with the writer's opinion.

Originally Posted by anj026

There are some good options for hand holding in this link;

http://binocularsky.com/binoc_hold.php

Interesting, thanks. I can't say I've heard of most of those techniques.

[Renato1 (Renato)]

I did a small amount of hand- held viewing today of birds and the like with my somewhat heavy Andrews 20X80s.

The viewing was fine - but short. My arms started getting sore pretty quickly.
Regards,
Renato

[SkyWatch (Dean)]

Hi Renato,

I agree with the other posters. I can hand-hold for a short time even with my 22x60 and 25x100 binos, but there is always some unsteadiness even with 8x, and this is most noticeable for astro viewing. You simply can't avoid the unsteadiness caused by your heart-beat for instance!

Your original quote talked about day-time viewing, when small amounts of shaking are not so noticeable- especially if you are using them for landscape viewing.

If you want to look closely at astro objects at any power with binos, then a mount of some sort makes life easier.

All the best,

Dean

[Renato1 (Renato)]

Originally Posted by SkyWatch

Hi Renato,

I agree with the other posters. I can hand-hold for a short time even with my 22x60 and 25x100 binos, but there is always some unsteadiness even with 8x, and this is most noticeable for astro viewing. You simply can't avoid the unsteadiness caused by your heart-beat for instance!

Your original quote talked about day-time viewing, when small amounts of shaking are not so noticeable- especially if you are using them for landscape viewing.

If you want to look closely at astro objects at any power with binos, then a mount of some sort makes life easier.

All the best,

Dean

Hi Dean,
Yes things are very different for astro viewing. I'm a bit funny about that. Some times I go a year or two hand holding at 15X and at 18X (though not at 20X). Then suddenly I go all finnicky and mount the binoculars - even 10X ones - onto tripods, and hand hold the tripods, where the extra weight and the tripod leaning against my body steadies things a lot when viewing at a high angle. Sometimes I even put the tripod on the ground for full steadiness.
Regards,
Renato

[Renato1 (Renato)]

Hi again,
Today I remembered that I owned a 30X75 Optolyth push-pull telescope, that doesn't weigh as much as my 20x80 binoculars.

So I found it, and looked around the backyard and off onto distant trees and at several birds. Very surprisingly, I had no trouble using it hand-held for 10 minutes. I had only ever used it previously when mounted on a tripod.
Regards,
Renato

[Renato1 (Renato)]

I got my pair of Celestron 25X70 Skymaster binoculars in the mail a few days ago. Very surprisingly, I don't seem to have much problem using them either during daytime and on DSOs at night.

In part it may be because they are lighter than my 20X80s.
And I suspect that another determinant of how well one can hand hold high power binoculars, is how often one actually does it.
Regards,
Renato

[silv (Annette)]

I am a women and my biceps are not worth the mention.
My cheap and heavy 10x50 gives me joy for about 4 minutes before my perception is on a roller coaster from the shaking and my biceps scream "Stop it, you 'git!"

[Renato1 (Renato)]

Originally Posted by silv

I am a women and my biceps are not worth the mention.
My cheap and heavy 10x50 gives me joy for about 4 minutes before my perception is on a roller coaster from the shaking and my biceps scream "Stop it, you 'git!"

If you attach the 10X50s to a tripod, and then hold the tripod, you will get a steadier image. And maybe, after doing this everyday for a while, you'll find you can easily hand hold the 10X50s.
Regards,
Renato

[silv (Annette)]

oh, yes, I use a tripod, of course! But the question and my ansewr was about the handheld experience.

[FI93 (Norm)]

When fire spotting from our mountain, I use a monopod and a right angle camera fixture. At the end of most bigger binoculars centre hinge is a threaded cap that unscrews revealing a camera mounting threaded hole.
The right angle fits between the binocular lens and screws into the hinge.
To adapt for star viewing, just add a ball mount to the monopod head.

[Renato1 (Renato)]

Originally Posted by silv

oh, yes, I use a tripod, of course! But the question and my ansewr was about the handheld experience.

But do you hand hold the tripod with the binoculars attached, or do you only set the tripod on the ground?

Hand holding the tripod gives you a steadier image than hand holding the binoculars alone, and makes it easier to look over head compared to having thetripod on the ground. And eventually it may make your arms a tad stronger, so as to more easily enable hand holding the binoculars alone for more than four minutes.
Regards,
Renato